Gubernatorial candidates weigh in on gas drilling

Jul. 12, 2010

The three major gubernatorial candidates -- Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat; former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, both Republicans -- have three different takes on how the state should proceed with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, a process in which millions of gallons of water are combined with sand and chemicals and blasted deep underground to break up the shale and to make gas more accessible. / File photo

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Where they stand

* Andrew Cuomo, Democrat: Supportive of drilling as long as it "does not occur in a way that threatens the environment."

* Rick Lazio, Republican: Believes drilling can be done "in an environmentally responsible way." Wants to commission a State University of New York study on fracking, and ban drilling in certain watersheds.

* Carl Paladino, Republican: Wants to drill immediately. "This is an economic opportunity for upstate New York," he said.

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Gov. David Paterson put natural gas development on hold two years ago so the state Department of Environmental Conservation could review its policies and the effect that new drilling techniques might have on the land, water and air.

Now Paterson's time in office is running out, and New York's next governor may help decide how the drilling battle in the Southern Tier plays out.

The three major gubernatorial candidates -- Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat; former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, both Republicans -- have three different takes on how the state should proceed with horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, a process in which millions of gallons of water are combined with sand and chemicals and blasted deep underground to break up the shale and to make gas more accessible.

Drilling in the Marcellus is a hot topic throughout the state, particularly in the Southern Tier, where gas in the mile-deep rock formation is said to be very rich. Gas companies have used the fracking technique with mixed results in other states, like Pennsylvania, and environmentalists worry it could contaminate drinking water.

Cuomo, who holds a large lead in several polls, makes two references to natural gas drilling in his "New NY Agenda," a book produced by his campaign that lays out his plan for the state and his stances on issues.

Though not taking a stand for or against, Cuomo pledges to "make sure health and environmental risks are comprehensively studied before natural gas exploration in New York's Marcellus Shale formation occurs" and that it "does not occur in a way that threatens the environment."

A spokesman for Cuomo did not provide further comment.

Speaking at a press conference in Albany in June, Lazio said he believes drilling and fracking can be done in "an environmentally responsible way" but should include some restrictions.

"I would have a no-go zone around the New York City watershed area," said Lazio, who won the Republican Party's nomination. "I would take some areas and put them off-bounds for drilling."

In May, the state DEC said it would not allow any gas companies to drill in the Syracuse and New York City watersheds without the company funding a comprehensive study for each well. The decision was seen as a compromise with environmentalists worried about contaminating the major water supplies.

Lazio said he would commission a study, possibly by a State University of New York school, with a firm completion date to look into the effects of drilling. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has started its own study, but it is expected to take up to three years to complete.

Paladino, who is trying to petition his way onto the ballot for a Republican primary and will run on his own third-party line, takes a different approach that can be summed up in three words: drill, baby, drill.

A major western New York developer who has pledged to spend up to $10 million on his campaign, Paladino said in a phone interview that New York is putting itself at a major disadvantage by sitting idly by while other states drill. He would have started drilling about a year ago.

"We're talking about a billion-dollar industry," Paladino said. "Aren't we a little bit fed up with scaring jobs away? Don't you think it's time we attracted some good-paying jobs?"

Paladino didn't hold back in regards to environmentalists and Sen. Antoine Thompson, D-Buffalo, who has sponsored a bill that would place a moratorium on drilling until mid-May 2011. He said Thompson "is just this side of plant life" and "doesn't have a brain," and those opposed to drilling are only looking out for their self-interests.

"This is an economic opportunity for upstate New York, and we are sick and tired of these numbheads coming along and wanting to stop everything just for the sake of listening to themselves as they're looking at the ceiling," he said.

Susan Lerner, executive director of good-government group Common Cause/NY, said she doesn't expect to hear much more from the candidates on drilling before the November election, when all statewide offices will be up for grabs. Common Cause has advocated for a moratorium on natural-gas drilling in New York until EPA completes its study.

"I think the candidates are going to try and duck it," Lerner said. "I think it's a hot potato, and I don't think there is a clear way to move forward."

Landowners, though, have called for politicians to step out of the way and let the DEC complete its job. The department is reviewing public comments on a draft version of the Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, a document that will lay out safety standards and precautionary measures to be taken when drilling. The SGEIS is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to the DEC.

"It will definitely affect how I vote (for governor) because I want them to do the right thing, which would be to allow the DEC to do its work," said Marchie Diffendorf, president of the Kirkwood Gas Coalition and a Broome County legislator. "From the conversations going on now on the forums we have on our coalition website, many of our members have said they are going to endorse candidates that will take that same position: Let the DEC do their job."